


We're the Kings of Trouble - A Marauder's Tale

by aceofhearts88



Series: A Marauder's Tale [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauder's AU, Marauders' Era, and so many more characters from the universe that I don't even want to think about listing them, does not work into the Harry Potter books, shoots canon to the moon at some point, you will notice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-15 01:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9212681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: [ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]The life of the Marauders could have been so easy, if not for the problem of a small but refined advancing war in the wizard world. But for now they are still safe in Howarts and suffer with a whole array of other difficulties.And of course love.James, trying as always to get a date with lovely Miss Lily Evans. Sirious, upholding a love-hate relationship with Gryffindordragon Anna Raven. And Remus, standing as always between self-doubts and his feelings towards Ravenclawdarling Meredith Slater.It's their final two years at Howarts and their journey has only now began.





	1. Prologue - A New Year

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story in my last years of school and I've decided now to translate it from German into English and post it to my other writing here in the archive.  
> If you ever have any questions or just want to talk, you can find me on tumblr under red-star-winter.
> 
> Please don't ask when I will update next. I translate whenever I find time next to work and my other writing.  
> Thank you.

#  **"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."**

### 1\. Prologue – A New Year

"Ha, that's one of your best jokes ever, Padfoot."

Remus Lupin laughingly looked over to his two best friends James Potter and Sirius Black who were sitting across from him on the old porch swing of the Potters. Like in the last two years, he had come to the Potters and Godric's Hollow for the last days of summer break to spend these last days with his best friends.

In a few days they would then venture into Diagon Alley to get their new books for the next school year, by now their sixth at Hogwarts, the wizarding school. Remus Lupin was a tall boy, lean but then again also appeared to be constantly sickly, his light brown hair was by now quite a bit longer than last school year. And his light blue eyes were now twinkling merrily at the black haired boy sitting directly across from him, left eyebrow raised, just how Sirius Black always did when he felt his leg being pulled.

"I...It's not a joke, Moony!" Sirius complained and propped his hands up on his hips. His black hair was nearly chin long, and grey eyes looked mildly irritated over to the boy with whom he had been friends for years. Sitting right next to him, James Potter chuckled, obviously because Remus didn't get what Sirius was pointing out to him, maybe for the first time in his life Remus Lupin didn't understand what was happening around him. Where he was always so alert and noticed even the smallest details.

See, Remus wasn't a normal wizard, he had been a werewolf since he had been bitten as a small child, since then he turned every full moon and owned supernatural instincts, but in the here and now it didn't seem to offer him any help.

"How do you mean, no joke? Come on, you didn't really run away from that place?!" Remus seemed to strongly doubt and send a helpless look over to James, but the boy with the wild black hair shrugged his shoulders and let his lips curl into a thick grin. His eyes, deep brown, twinkling with mischief, Remus should have known that something was going over his head.

James Potter had been Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor for a year, and just like Sirius he was quite popular with the girls in their year and the ones one year below. Remus, too, if only the Gryffindor boy wouldn't strictly refuse himself to dating girls all together because he kept on insisting that his furry little problem made him too dangerous. Instead he became prefect and was on his best way to becoming head boy as well.

"But yes!" Sirius pointed out as drily as possible, "That's exactly what I did!" And Remus's face crumbled. James though couldn't keep it together any longer and started laughing hard enough that he had to press hands against his rips.  
"Shocked, Moony?" Sirius smirked at him and Remus gasped for air twice, mouth working without words coming out for a short moment.  
"Well, I...I wasn't exactly expecting that. What happened?" Remus wanted to know, but started regretting it almost instantly again when Sirius' face darkened, shadows seemed to creep over his eyes.

"You remember my cousins, Bellatrix and Narzissa?" Sirius bit out and Remus began to nod carefully, James had stopped laughing, eyes set on the boy sitting next to him again.  
"Andromeda's sisters, yeah of course. Narzissa was a Slytherin prefect when we got to Hogwarts, wasn't she?" Remus counted down and scratched his chin, which was spotting the slightest signs of a beard already, just like it did with the other two sixteen year olds.

"Yeah, exactly." Sirius deadpanned, "You do remember bloody everything, don't you?" Sarcastic question ignored Remus shrugged his shoulders, so Sirius continued, "Anyway, they both got married."  
"And?" Remus kept on pushing, "That's not exactly a reason to run away." Sirius huffed, he liked to play his cards dramatic, Remus had noticed that about five days into their friendship.  
"They married Death Eaters." Sirius explained and Remus found his spine straightening, whole composure shifting to accomodate the alertness in his mind, "Bellatrix is now known as Bellatrix Lestrange and Narzissa is a Malfoy. And Bella is apparently only one step away from becoming one of them herself."

"I thought there were no female ones?" Remus questioned and Sirius snorted, shrugging his shoulders and then falling back against the back of the porch swing.  
"Ah, seems like that's changing now. Equality for all, you know." James spoke up for the first time, nudging Sirius with his knee and dragging a hand through his hair.  
"Right." Sirius grumbled, "And now different topic. I'm living with Prongs now if you wanna know, Remus."

"Lily wrote me." Remus changed the topic so quickly and abruptly that James nearly fell off the porch swing in his haste to sit up some more.  
"Lily? Lily Evans?" He croaked and tried to flap Sirius' helping hands away while pulling himself up again, Remus rolled his eyes.

"Yes, how many other Lilys do I know, James? Seriously, get yourself together, mate." Remus said, grinning all over his face, that turned into a smirk when James' face blushed for a short moment.  
"What did she want?" He asked and elbowed Sirius hard in the side, ducking away from the counter attack, Remus remained calm.  
"Upholding conversation, Prongs. Because contrary to you I am still able to do so even if the topic centers around Lily Evans." Remus quipped cheekily and James snapped for air, looking like a fish on dry land, while Sirius began barking like his animalistic alter ego. "She even mentioned you." Remus added after a moment and James was gaping for good then.

"How...I...she did?" James stuttered and his eyes bloomed with furious hope, Remus felt almost sorry for his next words.  
"Yes, she did. She feels sorry for me, because I have to spend the last days of summer break with, and I quote, this 'conceited, broom obsessed arrogant pigface'." And he started laughing loudly when James growled and began muttering under his breath.

"Wow! Evans is on fire." Sirius gasped out, holding his sides and leaning forward on the swing because he was laughing so hard.  
"Not everyone can be as cold and controlled as your crow!" James sullenly hissed at Sirius like a toddler whose favourite toy car had been taken away.  
"Hey, Anna Raven is neither controlled, nor cold, she is cool. And don't call her a crow!" Sirius snapped back just as fervently. Remus could feel his lips twitch, urge to laugh getting stronger, as he leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the show.

Oh, how great it was to be back with the Potters, to see Sirius and James and listen to their stupid childish antics.  
"You're behaving as if Anna was already your girlfriend, Padfoot, whereas she would more likely scratch out your bloody eyes." James argued and Sirius huffed, peacocking like a pro.  
"At least I'm not acting like a complete idiot when Miss Evans just turns the corner!" Sirius hit back and James drew back, gasping like the dramaqueen he could be as well.

"Complete idiot? I'm letting my charme work!" James called out, and Remus and Sirius first looked at him for a second and then each other, only to break out laughing in the next blink of an eye.  
"Your charme?...Please do tell me where your charme was, James, when you tripped down the great stairs last year, just because Lily had suddenly appeared?" Remus asked and gasped for air, James scowled.  
"Or when you blew up half the Potion's class? Or when you..." But before Sirius could have really get going, James slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah, that's enough." He snapped, ego maybe scraped a little, but neither Remus nor Sirius had any doubt that it would be forgotten again in no time.

"Hello my dears, you're talking about your girls again?"

All three boys whirled their heads to the side and caught sight of the friendly face of Dorea Potter. James' mother was standing by the patio dinner table, setting a couple of glasses down on it.  
"Mom." James complained, clearly embarassed, but Dorea didn't seem to be finished in the slightest, cheekiness and mischief written on her face for once, Remus already felt himself grinning.  
"These two ladies seem to have made quite the impact on you darlings. Miss Evans and Miss Raven have to consider themselves lucky to have such handsome admirers." Dorea chuckled, Sirius and James turned scarlet and Remus nearly fell of the chair he was laughing so much.

And Dorea just got going.

"But the way I see it, you're going at this all wrong. Women like it to be wooed by a gentleman, especially if it happens discretely. Small romantic gestures, and you'll see, they'll be looking at you completely different soon enough. Let Charlus give you some advice, or take a leaf out of Remus' book, because I hardly could think of anyone better suited. Even if he won't stand up to it, he is a hopeless romantic." Done with setting the table, Dorea ventured back into the house, leaving three teenagers behind, all deep red and thrown off guard, until they all started muttering at the same time.

"Hopeless romantic." Remus whispered, shaking his head and fiddling around with the sleeves of his shirt.

"Anna Raven and romantic gestures, goes together just as well Slytherin and compassion." Sirius mused, wiping off invisible dust bunnies from his pants.

"And that everyone is my mother." James complained quietly, and Sirius and him leaned back into the porch swing, back to sleepy laziness, just enjoying the rays of the august sun. Remus watched them for a moment first and then had to grin when another familiar face appeared in the corner of his eye. Quietly the person snuck closer, closing in on the porch swing from behind, drawing his wand, while Remus soundlessly got to his feet and stepped to the side on a good hunch.

"Aquamenti!"

And before James and Sirius could even work out who had spoken, they were dripping wet from head to toe and were jumping screaming from their lazy positions on the swing. Cursing up a storm, James whirled around, wild mob of black air for once flat on his head, already vile curses on his lips as he caught sight of the perpetrator and every word got stuck in his throat. Instead all he got out was a hoarse "Dad." Sirius as well was suddenly quite flushed again and Remus just couldn't hold it back anymore.

Laughing louder and more alive than all day, he bend over and held his stomach, just as Charlus Potter did, looking every bit his son's father for a moment. Brown eyes devious and so happy in their mischief.

"Why the bloody hell did you do that?" James said, voice heavy with accusation, pulling off his dripping shirt, Sirius doing the same at his side, glowering towards the tall man.  
"Your mother could use some help, boys." Charlus answered calmly and packed away his wand, Remus noticed that he focused on both boys at the same time, interesting development it seemed, not that Dorea had ever let it look any different. They were both her boys, had been from the moment James had first talked about his new friend. That Sirius had come to live with them now only cemented that status.

It was obvious when you looked at Charlus Potter after whom James had come in his family, he was a younger mirror image of his father, in looks and character. 

"Let's get going, boys. Those plates are not carrying themselves out." Charlus smirked, James grumbled but still turned to walk into the house. Charlus send a look over to Sirius when the boy hesitated, "She's your mother, too, Sirius. Move it." Grinning even through his scowl Sirius rushed to catch up with James. Charlus magically dried the porch swing and then loosened the clasp of the blue auror cloak, taking it off and draping it over the swing before waving Remus over to the patio table.

"Remus, how are you, boy?" Charlus turned his attention to Remus, both of them sat down across from each other at the table.  
"I'm good. It's very good to be back here again." Remus answered with a small smile and Charlus snorted, looking so much younger once he had pushed the responsibility of leading the auror department off his shoulders. 

"Ah, don't say that too quickly. You won't have a second of peace anymore." Charlus Potter laughed easily and took off his tie. Remus liked James' parents, they were purebloods, old blood even, but they weren't discriminating or looking down at those with non perfect blood status. Quite on the contrary, they were two of the most loving people Remus had ever met. Dorea kept on fattening him up whenever he visited, even if it were just a couple of days and Remus enjoyed it to the fullest to be taken care of like this for once. 

He wasn't used to it at home anymore, the relationship to his father had been broken for a long time, and his mother was since too sick to really take care of him, rather it was the other way around, she needed his help. He didn't hate it, he was glad that he could help her, but sometimes it was...nice to be allowed to be sixteen again, be a teenager instead of a grown up.

"How is your mother?" Charlus wanted to know and Remus smiled, traced a finger over the knitting pattern of the flowers on the tablecloth.  
"She tries to be strong." He began to reply, looking up at Charlus again, "It's going up again, if only a little." Remus told him and had to smile when he saw James and Sirius groaning as they stepped outside again, followed by a happily glowing Dorea. Though she was a tough and badass auror, she also was a hopeless mother hen who could not open her arms any wider to her only child's best friends. Which of course was proved perfectly again by the ease with which the Potters had taken Sirius in, without even batting an eye over it, after he had run away from home. Not a given, not everyone would dare to take on a powerful and dark magic obsessed family like the Blacks.

The Potters, especially Dorea Potter herself, hadn't hesitated at all to welcome the abandoned son into their home, because...and only a few in the magical world knew about it, James' mother was a born Black. More specific, she was the aunt of Walpurga Black, Sirius' mother, and like that James and Sirius were cousins of the second degree. Those two idiots were not only soul-bonded, but also actually blood related. For Remus, that explained a lot of things sometimes, and for James and Sirius it was easy and just so in handy to explain their stupid crazy ideas on Blackish genes.

\--

Dinner began and after Dorea had made sure that Remus was eating enough and had asked after his previous vacation adventures – of which there were none, yay social life, you rock – the werewolf could enjoy a peaceful day again. James and Sirius could uphold conversation enough for sixty people.  
"You surely packed your Hogwarts letter?" Dorea asked when they were done and Remus nodded instantly, left and right of him James and Sirius rolled their eyes.

"As if he will ever forget it." James complained and Sirius huffed, Charlus warned them with a look alone, as much as he could be amused by the boys' mischief and pranks, he was also first in line to have them learn the right manners. But Remus knew that none of what his friends grumbled about were even slightly meant to reach him, they were just not used to not getting the full attention. Their personalities were something behind which Remus could hide without putting any effort into it, he had enjoyed his time in the shadows, had enjoyed the time he had had behind his best friends' protection to find out who he really was. And he knew as well that both boys weren't begrudging him Dorea's warmth and loving care.

She had enough for a whole village.

"I know that Remus would never forget his letter." Dorea pointed out as drily as possible, "He is reliable." She added and raised an eyebrow at Sirius who scowled.  
"I ran away in the middle of the night. I'm sorry that I did not think about grabbing my letter." Sirius argued and Dorea boxed him lightly in the right upper arm for his cheek. James chuckled and watched their antics with a bright smile.

It was a home among many that Remus had by now, but just maybe, it was starting to become the one he loved the most.

\--

Two hours later, James and Sirius had made themselves comfortable on the bed in one of guest rooms of Potter Manor that Dorea had started calling "Remus's" a year or so ago. Remus was focused on unpacking part of his clothes into the closet.  
"You know, Casper would have done that as well." James commented and read over the short letter for the fifth time, the letter that Remus had gotten from Lily Evans.

"I know, Prongs, but imagine, there are people who don't shy away from using their own hands." Remus argued right back and ignored how James rolled his eyes, turning left when the little creature in the rocking chair shifted again, small fingers wriggling around the sleeves of his blue shirt. "Not that I don't appreciate you wanting to help, Casper, you know how much that means to me." Big blue eyes looked up at him, lips breaking out into a smile, he had long learned to accomodate. Casper was the Potter's house-elf, an incredibly friendly little bugger, who was treated by his family like another family member and not a slave, employed really, not owned, who had more free time than really time to work around the house, unless Dorea and Charlus got busy at the ministry.

Dorea liked to do things herself, grown up and raised differently, she had come to enjoy cooking and going to the market, taking care of the garden. Alone James' and now Sirius' laziness kept Casper entertained and pleased half of the time, continously busy tidying up after both boys. As a reward and a thank you, Casper received way more letters when they were in Hogwarts than Dorea or Charlus did.

He was happy because his family was.

Done with organising, Remus sighed and flopped down on the bed as well, head falling into the pillows and legs landing on James' outstretched ones, his friend easily and blindly shifting his arms upon Remus' shins. Sirius grunted when that ended up with him getting an elbow to the rips for a second before he could lean back against James' side again, playing around with the little snitch, throwing it back and forth with Casper.

"So, new teacher." James spoke up after a moment of silence, finally putting the letter to the side again, "That's gonna be interesting."  
"I'm just glad Williamson is gone." Sirius pointed out and Remus and James both agreed, that man had been a disaster and how any of them had gone through their Owls with top grades was a puzzle. As it was though, the friends had gone through with better results than expected, even their missing fourth friend.

Williamson was surely not to thank for that.

"You know whom it will be?" Remus asked, turning his head to look at James, who smirked down at him, answering before even using words, and Remus blinked, having meant the question half as a joke, "Wait, you know?!"  
"Oh, I know." James grinned and Sirius snickered, Remus kicked at both of them, "Mum asked McGonagall the last time they met in Diagon Alley, seems she's a little fed up over seeing new teachers appear every year in an important class like Defense. And Logan knows the guy." James emphasized, aware that he had Remus' full attention now. 

"Logan?" Remus asked in surprise, and then pushed himself up onto his elbows, "Are we getting an auror as the new Defense teacher?" That would be awesome, and at least someone who actually knew what they were doing. On the other hand, Logan Raven was a crazyhead and knew all kinds of insane people, just the kind of guy who was admired like crazy by the likes of James Potter and Sirius Black, who wanted to be just like the new diamond of the auror department.

"Yeah, he came over last weekend, needed to talk to Dad, but Dad wasn't here yet and all that. Asked Mum the same question you just did me, seems like his sister is burning just as much to know more. It's Teeborn, Moony, Teeborn's going to be our new Defense teacher." And with a jerk, Remus was sitting upright again, bright blue eyes fixed on James' face.

"You're kidding me?" He called out but James shook his head, just as madly grinning as Sirius by then, Remus happily let himself get swapped up in it, "Tykword Teeborn? Logan never shut up about him. That guy once punched Lucius Malfoy in the face." James and Sirius both nodded excitedly, "That's so cool. He was one of Hogwarts' smartest students."

"Gonna be a great year." Sirius prophesied and they all began laughing, one big heap of limps on the bed while Casper watched them with fond eyes.  
"Any plans? Ideas?" Remus threw in after they had calmed down a little again and James and Sirius began talking at the same time.

He was back with his friends. The new school year could come now, no matter what it would bring, they would be ready to deal with it. It was gonna be a great one, he had a good feeling.


	2. Frisked Trunks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys return to Hogwarts and the competition makes an entrance.

### 2\. Frisked Trunks

**Present Time**

_My dear friend,_

_Even today, I still ask myself often where it all began, where was the beginning of the end of our easygoing and happy life. Where had fate begun to spin its net? Always and forever the question after what had happened to make us into the people that we are today. Betrayed from family and friends! But being so much stronger._

_Where would I need to start if I wanted to change anything if only it were possible? Where did we lose Anna, Peter and Scott? When did Sirius, Remus, Lily and I lose our families and at the same time found something more powerful?_

_The questions come again and again, let me be restless while I'm lying awake at night in the arms of my beloved husband. Forever the question of how and why – Forever no answers or explanations. Time and time again, I see the past in my dreams, there is still no rest. Peace in our world, but not in our minds. Time and time again, I watch the little ones, the new generation who has to learn from our mistakes to start a better, easier future._

_We are happy today, all of those who are left of us, but the path wasn't easy. It was difficult, and painful at times._

_But where did it all go wrong?_

_James and Sirius see the answer to all questions in the attack of Hogwarts, the day where we all suddenly had to grow up so fast, where the chasm between right and wrong began to drift apart without any mercy. But I don't see it there, the solution to all of our sleepless nights._

_I believe in fate, more than any of us, more than ever before. It gives me answers to all my questions, it shows me that everything culminates at one point: our sixth year at Hogwarts. There, everything started. There, fate took our lives into its hands and guided us onto paths that would have no return. There lies the key to all questions, and it is there where our story begins._

_It's not a story of many adventures, of many great deeds. It's certainly not a tale of great battles and even greater victories. It's simpler._

_It's a Marauder's Tale._

_Your Meredith, 1992_

**Past – 1.September 1976**

The sky above London didn't mirror at all what Sirius and James were portraying in moody teenage scowls on this day, with every annoyed huff or grunt it seemed to brighten more and more. Looking like a picture perfect late summer day. An azure sky over the British capital, no clouds, not even the smallest vapor trail – just nothing but pure blue sky. The sun was really burning down on London's street and its residents and tourists, let summer fun bloom again in hearts and limbs before fall would blow in with storms and rains and approaching winter darkness. 

Almost thirty degrees in the shadows, even Remus wore short sleeves on such a day, unhealthy pale skin and scars or not. No one wanted to sweat like a pig. James and Sirius though, those two looked more like it had rained all summer break, whereas the weather had been really really beautiful all those weeks. They had had a bombastic summer, weather and happiness wise.

No, the downturned mood of both sixteen year olds originated for the most part in them having let their trunks be unwatched for too long yesterday evening after packing suspiciously inconspicuously for hours. Had been clear that Dorea would get sceptical, but both boys had ignored Remus' warnings, James' mother had never looked twice at their trunks in the last years, why would she suddenly change. 

Well, it had been the truth for the last couple of years maybe, but not this time, probably ostensibly connected in having housed both chaos parts of the Marauders for not only a couple of days but the majority of the vacation time. If you felt the consequences yourself, you learned from your mistakes. 

And Dorea Potter had learned. Oh how she had learned. 

Frisked. The trunks had been frisked. She had frisked them like only a true auror could, not only searched with magic and hands, but taken apart in a detailed search. And like that discovered everthing James and Sirius had previously bought at Zonkos during their trip to Diagon Alley. Zonkos, the shop for pranks, jokes and other unnecessary stupid stuff. She had thrown it away, everything, without even blinking over it. James and Sirius could have argued forever over it being unfair after they had brought such good grades home in their OWLs.

Remus really had to agree with that part of their argument at least, despite their ongoing devil may care attitude towards school and class, James and Sirius had really gotten it together during exam time at the end of their fifth year. They had studied and worked hard like everyone else, pulled back on the pranks. It had been stupid and too much to hope for that it would continue into their sixth year, the two were too talented for that. Not that Remus was any different in that area, he didn't learn and read so much because he had to, he did it because he enjoyed the wisdom and the knowledge.

James and Sirius had something ahead of him though, they had their dream future planned out already, aurors they wanted to be, just like Charlus and Dorea, just like Logan Raven. The classes they needed to excelled in for this to become true were already like second nature to them, able to handle even while asleep. Never been met with anything truly challenging in Transfiguration, Defense against the Dark Arts or Charms, even Potions worked if they just concentrated for a moment.

Dorea Potter could have cared less about that, son and foster son could try and charm her as much as they wanted to. They were biting down on granite, really really hard granite. She wasn't a born Black for nothing. She was tough nut who only got cracks when it was Remus standing in front of her, James' mother was undeniably fond of the boy, no one could argue against that, hence why it was also his merit on why they didn't travel to Hogwarts without any kind of basic means until the first Hogsmeade weekend came around. She trusted him, truly and blindly, and she hadn't even looked at his trunk at all, so he had been able to save a few things, especially the more expensive, newest inventions of the Zonko brothers. 

But his heart brothers didn't know about that yet, because Dorea didn't take her eyes off of them for even a second, as if they could be pulling something from their pockets, even if those had been searched by her as well. Remus had stood right next to them, grinning from one ear to another, enjoying it all so greatly, because yes that too he had been spared from, resulting in James and Sirius looking even more glum and betrayed. A complete lack of understanding had been written all over their faces, and their loud protests.

Dorea had been deaf and blind to it. Charlus hadn't been any better, had been standing to the side for the longest time, quiet and observing, James could have protested as much as he wanted over it having been his father who had whispered those first prank ideas into his head in their first year. Dorea remained strict, and only when she threatened James with taking away the invisibility cloak had Charlus gotten his boys to shut up within the next breath. He had a talent for that, no wonder, he had been just like them in his youth.

Good move on his side, because even Remus wasn't sure he could have convinced Dorea to hand over the core element of the Marauder's era again, because without the family heirloom nothing went anywhere anymore. Just nothing. Nada. Nichts. Rien. 

Well, that's why James and Sirius had faces as long as a fiddle, only worsened every single time Charlus ruffled their hair with a gentle hand while they walked through King's Cross. He was a splendid mood, brilliant wonderful mood on his free day. Only yesterday, before he had become amused witness to the show between his wife and sons, his partner and him had seen to it that two of Lord Voldemort's followers would only ever see the dark walls of Askaban from now on. They had been celebrated for it, that thanks to Charlus' hard work and his partner's ruthless quick acting Abraxas Malfoy was finally apprehended and would no longer be able to continue his horrible atrocities.

Sirius hadn't stopped grinning until the evening, full of delight, pure joy and gloating, aware that his blood family hadn't enjoyed the same kind of awesome time in the last days, and that this latest development had been a heavy blow to the flawless prestige of England's oldest pureblood family.

First the middle Black sister of their generation runs away from home, marries a Muggle-born and gets publicly disowned before welcoming one of the most brilliant kids into the world. Then her example gets repeated when the older son and heir – well former now – runs away as well, to the so hated Potters of all people. The whole nightmare had been supposed to get saved by two weddings of the oldest and youngest Black sister to well known purebloods, who and you really didn't have to emphasize it anymore, who of course belonged right into Voldemort's influenced circle.

The highlights of the high society summer 1976 it should have been. The facade held for six weeks, right until that day when Charlus Potter stepped in front of the flashing cameras with the new father-in-law of his youngest great-niece, revealed him as a Death Eater and walked him off towards the unbroken bars of Askaban. 

The bottomless hatred, so much was clear to Remus, the bottomless hatred of the Blacks towards Charlus Potter could not possibly get any greater. That too was a reason why both sides of James' parents were accompanying them towards the train today, aware that at least Orion and Walpurga would probably send their now remaining younger son Regulus off to Hogwarts. The risk of letting Sirius be confronted with them alone, it had been too great in their eyes, especially after this great success of the aurors. Sirius was happy now, grinning and full of crazy ideas as ever, but James hadn't pulled Remus to the side for nothing when Dorea had whisked Sirius off to Madam Malkin's to get a new cloak. His words had been simple but meaningful, Sirius had arrived as a mess earlier that summer and it had taken time until the Potters had coddled him up again. 

Time would tell them now how Sirius was really doing, if he had truly shaken it off as easy as it looked like at the moment.

Remus followed his friends with quiet steps, Dorea next to him, just like her husband she hadn't cared about wearing something the muggles wouldn't make a doubletake over. Just as always when off duty and out of the house, she wore the black cloak, white blouse and black pants. Just a little bit weird it must have looked for the muggles, but honestly, probably more due to the heat than to the strangeness of the clothes. London was too tolerant, and the seventies were a thing on their own, Remus was so happy over school uniforms.

Sirius was a perfect example on why flashy didn't even begin to over this decade, black short sleeved shirt, and dark blue bell-bottoms. He almost looked ridiculous, at least in Remus' eyes, but the muggle girls went weak in the knees, longing looks proved that, and Remus had no doubts that young witches would see it different. Sirius was Sirius and would always be. No matter the clothes.

"Stop it, Dad!" James growled and tried to unsuccessfully straighten his hair when they arrived at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. Remus and Sirius didn't even need to exchange a look before they were both reaching out to ruffle through James' hair together. Charlus laughed when James whirled around and then shoved him through the magical portal before James could have let any words loose. Sirius groaned, probably just remembered that he might cross paths with the hated relatives behind that wall, but then straightened his spine and and pushed through as well with Charlus right behind him with the trolley that carried the boys' trunks.

"Four eyes would be best. Two for each." Dorea sighed and shifted James's owl higher in her grasp on the cage, looking over to Remus who smiled back at her. Yeah, four eyes would really be better than just two, if you wanted to keep James and Sirius under permanent control. If. But firstly, Remus didn't have four eyes and secondly he didn't want to have them under permanent control, those two chaos loving slobs just brought too much fun with their antics and ideas, at least most of the time.

He loved them too much to ever want to stop them.

With quick steps he walked towards the wall, kept a good hold on his bag, couldn't even swallow the thought of losing it right now, not while it was carrying the map. A tingle over his skin later, he opened his eyes again and smiled as always when he caught sight of the steaming red train before quickly stepping to the side so that Dorea could follow. The train meant memories, it meant coming home, new adventures and the last bout of real excitement before the new school year got started. 

Together with Charlus they heaved the three trunks up into the train and then the three boys quickly made their way over into the second to last compartment at the end of the train to leave trunks and owl behind. Inofficially theirs it had been since third year, and no one dared to take it away from Hogwarts most favourite four men group. No one would dare challenge Black and Potter if they were together, not with Lupin's all seeing eyes at their back. 

Quickly the trunks were stored away, James' owl placed carefully on one seat row as a warning, but then they hurried outside again to say goodbye to the waiting parents of the brown-eyed friend. Sirius and Remus both had taken them deep into their hearts by now, Sirius loved Dorea like the mother he had never had and Remus loved her just as much as he loved his own mother. And Charlus was for both of them the father they had always wanted to have, someone to look up to, someone you knew would protect you no matter what, who would listen and give advice at any time of the day.

It went both ways, Dorea and Charlus had welcomed them into their family, had opened their home for them and given them a place inside their hearts. A chaotic mismatched quartet, together with their still missing fourth friend, whose overprotective mother rarely let go of him during term breaks, but it worked. It worked perfectly.

They were more than a team of friends. They were a force to be reckoned with. And people had paid the price of underestimating their loyalty towards each other already. They didn't look at what set them apart, didn't have an eye for differences, in their eyes they saw each other as equals. They balanced each other out, saw each other's weaknesses and made protecting them their ultimate strengths. James and Sirius, enough courage, bravery and honesty to get rid of Remus' self-doubt. Remus, truly enough brains to pace the thoughtlessness and spontaneity of both chaotic idiots, enough emotional delicacy to lessen the mental dullness and rudeness of the other three. Peter, enough naiviety to push forward on new ideas for pranks, enough innocence to remind the other three that they were still human after all.

They had competition, a rivalry even, that was part of the game and it wasn't even the centuries old rift between Gryffindor and Slytherin, that was just in their blood by now. It was the healthy kind, the welcome one, livened up business in a way, even if this group of rivals was more interested in making sure their prank business would end rather today than tomorrow. 

The spotters they used to call them, the girl scouts. The good ones. The female trio of friends who had tried for years already to end their mischief life in Hogwarts.

Two prefects and one young witch that made even the toughest Slytherins think twice about saying those dreaded insults. Those three friends had a balance between them that rivaled those of the four boys. 

Lily Evans, the moralizer of their school, an incredibly sense for fairness that made her first and unchallenged candidate for the head girl position come their last year. Usually way too moody though to really be able to do something against the boys' antics. She was too fond of Remus and Potter and Black got too much under her skin to keep her cool about any retaliation plans. Just as Anna Raven, the leader of the girl trio, touchy temperament, barely able to be stopped at times, something she shared with her older brother. Especially when it came to Mister Sirius Black, always cool Raven could become a furious hellbeast, even if she fought just like him. Instinct only and mouth always louder than mind. 

And then of course sweet little Meredith Slater but who was in the fact the one they kept their eyes out for most, because most of the time only her shyness held her back from really ratting them out. Otherwise the incomprehensible smart Ravenclaw could have easily and without moving a finger uncovered their biggest secrets and brought their mischief careers to an untimely end with one gentle sunshine smile. She was calm and discreet on the outside, patient and level-headed enough to slow down her often fire-tempered Gryffindor-friends. 

It could have been so easy and simple and with their strengths combines the boys should have been able to play out the three girls.

Well, if only for the delicate but dominating fact that they were confronted with three of the most prettiest and attractive girls at Hogwarts. Fate had decided to be extra funny it seemed, making their tale only so much better when it had chosen for their hearts. 

For two years now, Marauders leader James had been head over heels in love with Lily Evans, and nobody needed supernatural abilities to see that it was a very one-sided crush. Sirius and Anna, now that was a relationship where nothing was one-sided, secret bets were running that both of them wouldn't survive five minutes alone in one room without any of their friends being present as well. They hated each other so much that it was only the question who would raise their voice first and who would let a wand follow.

Remus honestly suspected Anna, Sirius was despite his famous temperament still a gentleman at heart and would hesitate in raising his wand against a woman. But then again, blooddragon Raven was often not included in the category girls for him, was worth a thought or two sometime.

The absolute cherry on top was the unspoken bond between Remus and Meredith. Standing between the lines so often, and not really being sure themselves what they felt for the other one. Remus who was close friends with Lily and Meredith, who shared with them his love for learning and books, who got along with Anna much much better than any of his other friends. Meredith, the pureblood witch, who knew Sirius since early childhood, who had been friends with him ever since meeting him, who suffered in the shadows of her already graduated but still overly present older brother.

Remus and Meredith, who weren't brave enough to realize that they could be perfect together, yet.

Complete emotional chaos, that was their time at Hogwarts. Youth, puberty, seventies – their life, which they still wouldn't exchange with anything in the world, at least not back then.

\--

Today, they didn't see any of the three girls on platform nine three-quarters, instead Misses Pettigrew joined them with Peter, and Sirius and James got to hear one last Dorea speech.  
"I've got my sources, boys, do not forget that." She threatened at the end, pointed fnger and all, while her other arm was tightly wrapped around Remus' shoulders, it was also him who was hit by James' grim look. Remus just smiled innocently though and ignored all possible thoughts in his friend's head. Not his fault, would never betray their honor as marauders like that, he loved Dorea but not that much. Brothers forever, Marauder for a lifetime.

And anyway, Dorea had her contacts in sources none of them could influence, not even Remus. Higher ups, old school friend. Yeah, James wasn't always proud that even after all those years, decades even, Dorea still held up a close friendship to Minerva McGonagall, their househead and Transfiguration teacher. Always suspicious towards them, especially towards James and Sirius, softer maybe towards Remus, who brought her so much joy with his questions, but even he had not gotten away with pranks.

"You have fun, Remus." She ended her long speech with a gentle smile for Remus who flushed while James and Sirius huffed, outraged and so in synch.  
"That's all?" James fired himself up again, missing the warning look Charlus sent his way again, and then shoved right back when his father chose other ways to distract him. Dorea only focused back on her biological son with a sugar sweet smile, most of the time a clear warning sign no matter how beautiful it looked. 

"I know that Remus will act accordingly to the responsibility that lies upon his shoulders and that I can blindly trust him to not get himself into trouble at times where I really could use a break from worrying over you on top of everything else." Dorea became serious suddenly, and Remus, James and Sirius all looked down, embarassed now, "I know you want to have fun, and I am so incredibly happy that Hogwarts is such a safe place for you, but I am in constant worry over your father and our friends now, boys." Dorea continued and Charlus sighed, "Just don't run riot, write me about your pranks, but please don't throw yourself headfirst into trouble again. All three of you. I cannot ask Remus to keep you in check, Merlin alone knows that kind of force doesn't exist, but I can only hope that you love your dear mother enough to not let her hair turn even more gray."

That they all moved in to hug her at the same time was a coincidence but it was great in the end when Dorea actually squeaked, framed on all sides by her boys who were all trying to squeeze all air from her. Misses Pettigrew actually sobbed quietly and Charlus grinned, shaking his head as the Hogwartsexpress gave a loud whistle.

Time to go.

"Oh, you fools." Dorea sighed in joy and then wiped her face before touching all of their faces shortly again, "You go and have fun, my darlings, and don't worry about your mother." James was about to reply something to her, clearly caught offguard by that previous emotional outbreak of his mother, but Charlus gave a sharp gasp, prompting all four Gryffindorboys to whirl around to him.

"Alright, boys, that's it. Beautiful summer with you, now it's time to go back to school." He began to rattle down, pushing all three boys towards the train, "Don't get in trouble, write sometime, make me proud, have fun." And just as Remus tried to not get squished by James and Sirius in the entrance of the train, with Charlus still pushing them on, he caught sight of the reason for Charlus' sudden hurry.

\--

Seconds later, Peter was the only one who was sitting on the bench in their cabin, gasping for breath while James, Sirius and Remus were lined up at the window like chickens, noses flat against the glass. Just so they could follow along the amazing show that just unfolded outside. Misses Pettigrew had chosen flight over interest and had disappeared as quickly as possible, because right now, worlds came to a confrontation that could not be any more loaded.

"Merlin, they are furious." James said dry as the desert and shifted his weight so he was more comfortably kneeling on the bench, one arm around Sirius' waist to keep him from toppling to the ground where he was perched right on the edge. Sirius just nodded.  
"I don't know." Remus began with a grin, "I think Charlus and Dorea can give them a run for their money without even breaking a sweat. Look at them." He smirked and James and Sirius both grinned.

It was too hilarious to watch how Walpurga Black, youthful prettiness long lost, and Orion Black, smaller, thinner and grayer than his wife, were facing off against both tall Potters towering over them. A wild discussion was going on and neither boy had to guess about the topic, it was right here between James and Remus, half kneeling, half hanging off of James. Sirius' mood had surpassed even Remus's own one by now, flown right up into the sunny sky. All because he could watch his biological parents act like complete fools and idiots in front of the two people he had seen as his parents from the day Dorea had first opened the door of Potter Manor for him five years ago.

Charlus and Dorea were a rock, calm and steady, even if their words surely weren't. Able to hear it or not, they didn't have to have a great imagination to come up with what was thrown around, Dorea could lose her mouth rather easily when it came to defending her boys. And it was Charlus himself who had taught James half of the swear words he knew. And the winner of that argument was clear anyway, even before Charlus gave the finishing blow and then waved so openly and overdramatic over to them. Big smirky grin that made him look just like his sixteen year old son, before he gently took his wife's hand and disapparated with her on sight.

Perfect move. 100 points.

The Blacks remained behind, disgusted and three inches smaller, throwing undefinable looks over to their cast away son, who just smirked at them as the train set itself into motion and brought them away from heated up London heads. Forwards to a new exciting year at Hogwarts.

\--

Laughing loud and carefree, they dropped down onto the benches, Remus next to a slightly confused Peter and James and Sirius in a twitching heap across from them. Black's grin was dripping in schadenfreude, because those hated parents had been played like puppets on strings for once, Potter's smirk full of pride because it had been the Potters who had pulled on them.

The frustration over Dorea's trunk frisking was already forgotten again, that short show had been too brilliant, both black haired boys couldn't even get it together enough to explain to their youngest friend what had happened. Remus had to take over, couldn't stop grinning himself.

Until the compartment door crashed open and ended all childish laughter with a bang as all four boys looked into the face of a small thin girl. Her brown, for once straight hair framed her usually pretty face that was at the moment pulled into a tight scowl. Rosy lips were edged into one straight line while deep blue eyes were fixed on Sirius' shocked face. You could say whatever you wanted but Remus didn't understand what she was going for here, frozen in her stand in the doorway, eyes glaring at Black, whose eyebrows were slowly pulling themselves together in his desperate attempt to think of an explanation.

You could almost see how the wheels were turning in his brain to find a solution or a reason for Miss Slater's entrance. 

With almost every other girl, Remus would have suspected Black to have forgotten a promised date, or a not answered letter, you just had to confront yourself with the type of girl Mister Casanova usually went out with, those were capable of everything. But not Meredith Slater, not at all the type of girl Sirius found entertainment in, she was too smart for that. And kind. And beautiful. Friends they had been since forever ago, two purebloods who didn't fit into the picture of their radical families. 

Like brother and sister they had grown up, side by side on Grimmaudplace since the Slaters had returned from America. They had been three back then, could by now not even remember a time without the other one in their lives anymore, knew each other so well. The more confusing and astonishing was that Sirius had no idea whatsoever what the girl wanted from him.

She was rarely really furious, the petite Ravenclaw, not even up to Remus' shoulder did she come, but when she was angry, you had to watch your back. Not as impulsive as her two best friends from the lion tower, but blessed with a strategic mind and a rock hard pokerface, difficult to read because if there was one thing big brother Steven had ever taught her, then it was to always have the upper hand. 

And now here she was, standing in her knee long skirt with her arms crossed over her chest, wand held in her right hand, dark blue blouse tight around her shoulders, and Black right in her line of fire. James' left eyebrow had wandered up higher and higher while the Ravenclaw sweetheart kept on staring at his brother, with a dark look, a really bitter dark look. Peter had shrunk into himself, even when it wasn't him in that razor sharp focus of Miss Meredith Brianna Slater.

Remus himself, frowning and unable to take his eyes off of the sixteen year old girl, was the only one who dared to do more than just stare right back at her.  
"Meredith." He greeted her quietly, maybe not the most brilliant thing his mind could have come up with, but at least it rocked Meredith out of her frozen status and led her to giving a little bit of attention to the other three boys as well. One sweet smile before it slipped right back into blankness again when her eyes settled back on Sirius.

"Boys." She replied just as quiet and calm, just like they knew her, Sirius flashed his teeth, tried an innocent smile, but failed of course, Slater knew him inside out.  
"You got something to confess to me, Sirius Black?" And the extra emphasis on the unloved last name was the turning point how Sirius' whole face fell and paled, James' pinched his eyes shut, Peter gave a little squeak and Remus turned a prompting look on his friend, but Sirius could only shrug his shoulders.

"Not that I was expecting to see you at home, never been there at the end of summer break in the last years, why would it suddenly change. No, I think, it was more the fact that I stepped without even the smallest kind of warning into Black Manor to spend the last days of my vacation there." Meredith told them, Sirius most of all, and oi there it dawned on them, all at the same time. Sirius gasped for new air and turned into that sad looking loyal dog he could become only in her hands, an expression on his face that Remus really would love to have on camera one day.

Yeah, yeah, that he had forgotten, completely forgotten, too much joy over never having to go back into that hated dark house on that despised Grimmaudplace. Way too happy in warm Potter embraces that he must have forgotten entirely to warn that one person who would have really loved to hear it as well. Both older Slaters had gone away again, off to some business partners or so, and due to the strain between sister and brother, young Miss Slater had been pushed over to the family friends in London, they had known that for long already, since last May to be precise. Nothing could have been changed in it, the rules had been clear, either the Blacks or Steven, Meredith had groaned over it for months. Her best friends had been ruled out by her parents just as much as her cousin of the same age, a dorm companion of the Marauders, and his family.

No, they need to keep contacts alive and take care of relationships to good friends, and the knowledge of having to spend almost the entire last week of vacation with the Dark Arts loving family, without the loved friend even being there, it had already frustrated Meredith before the vacation had even started. And now?

She had bend in the end, gone into the house they all didn't trust, without having the slightest notion over what had happened, that the best friend from childhood days had run away and had been disinherited. None of them could have any idea on how blindsided the girl must have been when she had been notified at that development, probably by Walpurga Black herself.

"Oh." Sirius said breathlessly, as always when he was completely overwhelmed, happened on such rare occasions that it had to be especially enjoyed. And slowly but surely Remus was hit with the impression that that had been exactly Meredith's plan all along, because suddenly she was all sunshine grin and musical laughter again, twinkling blue eyes when she dropped down on the bench between James and Sirius. 

Peter huffed, pushing the cabin door close again, the train kept on rolling, passing through the countryside outside of London now.

"You're a genius, Sirius, just genius." And she was beaming again like summer sunshine on a flower field, so sweet and contagious like a warm summer night at the lake, turning Sirius right back into his true self. Drawing Remus in like a campfire did for fireflys, became the only thing he ever wanted to focus on, and if James' small smile sent his way was any indication Remus was barely able to keep that hidden anymore.

They watched how Sirius threw an arm around her shoulders, drew her in and grinned, while she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.  
"How were they?" Remus wanted to know and Meredith's face turned sweet as hot chocolate on christmas eve when she looked over to him, smile so warm and honest.

"Perfect."

"Really?" James asked right back, voice colored in incredulous doubt and surprise, prompting Meredith to laugh, wasn't exactly the dream vacation you wished upon a sixteen year old girl.  
"I know it sounds weird, but it really was perfect, after I had swallowed down the first round of shock. Even more off the rails than usually, the whole clan, angry, too, but mostly gone with the wind and out of their minds with trying to repair their reputation again. Was left to my own devices most of the time, took Reg and dragged him into Diagon Alley, one of them had to come with, otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed to leave the house." Meredith grouched and all boys rolled their eyes, "But because sweet little Reg was so scattered by your departure, Sirius, was it the easiest thing ever to meet up with Lily or Anna to get ice cream at Fortescue."

And then her sweet smile turned into that one cheeky dangerous smirk that only the Black brothers could have ever taught that sweet little soul.

"But the ultimate highlight was yesterday, of course, but it's not like I have to tell you that, don't I?" She offered and glanced over to James, and Potter, having previously leaned back agaisnt the window, straightened his spine and nodded so serious as if it had been himself arresting those pigs instead of his thrice praised father.

"How did they react?" Sirius wanted to know now, ambitious for that special kind of gossip, almost as if Meredith had those prank toys Dorea had taken away, his dark eyes were glowing in anticipation almost while the girl gave herself that one theatralic pause.  
"Reg was completely run over, your mother was furious, only topped by Druella and Cygnus themselves. Orion was trying to keep his face at least in front of Reg and me." And her grin turned devilish, you had to be surprised that there wasn't Black blood running through her veins as well.

"Sweet darling Narcissa was so on edge, exploded if someone so much as looked her way." Meredith continued, "Bellatrix continuously complained that the Malfoys had fooled them and were in fact on the path down into nothingness."

"And Malfoy junior?" James threw in as well, Meredith shrugged her shoulders, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.  
"Not seen for even a second, another reason why Cissy was this moody. Just sent Steven to hand Narcissa over to her parents, probably off to call his lawyers together." Throwing a look to her watch, Meredith got back to her feet, "I gotta go again, otherwise Scott and Anna are gonna drive Lils mad with all that Quidditch."

"And we don't want that to happen to dear Evans." Sirius laughed and earned a slap to the head from two sides at the same time. Not really knowing whom to glare at first, the girl who was his oldest friend or the so in love best friend at the window, Sirius chose a quiet grumble. Meredith gifted Remus with one last breathtaking smile and then floated right out of their cabin again.

She was barely gone when Remus stood up, ignoring James and Sirius squabbling, smiling to himself in pure mischief and happiness, he dragged his trunk down again and got the results he was hoping for. James and Sirius shut up immediately and without hesitating focused their attention on him, looking at him in confusion but also slight excitement. Remus left them hanging for one moment still, without saying a word he sat down again and the raised eyebrows of his friends vanished behind the opening top of the trunk.

"Moo..." But a quickly raised hand had James stop that questioning call of his nickname right where it came from.

"Just a second."

The trunk banged shut again and revealed the stuff Remus had stacked high on his lap, eyes began to light up in happiness, incapable of hiding the astonishment.  
"I couldn't save everything, only the newest inventions, Dorea was too quick for the rest." Before they could bury him under their excitement, he threw it all over to them, and James and Sirius began touching them as if they were handling a rare treasure.

"You're the best." Sirius chuckled and James nodded.  
"I have never been so happy that you're an angel in Mum's eyes." James said and pulled up his bag to quickly get their treasure into a safe hiding place, Sirius followed his move.  
"I was just using my head, and the way you were packing yesterday, it wasn't hard to guess that she wouldn't let you go without a throughrough search. A few of my clothes had to be snuck into your trunks, I'm expecting their return when we're in the dorm." James and Sirius nodded immediately, so grateful that their trip into Diagon Alley hadn't been for nothing after all.

\--

Soon enough it was as always, Sirius and James in deep discussion over plans, one prank more adventureous as the other, Peter had fallen asleep and Remus had started to scroll through the new Transfiguration book.   
"Oh, this is gonna interest you." And even though his two friends didn't stop their never ending talking for even a second, or slowed it down a nodge, Remus knew that they were listening closely. Experience, after so many years with those two living in one room, ears always everywhere, worse than most gossip hens, always knowing what was going on in the castle. Not really difficult though, Hogwarts was a place where rumors and secrets spread quicker than anywhere else in their world, quicker than Gryffindor had caught the snitch in last year's match against Hufflepuff.

But at the same time, his friends were blessed with a capability rarely found with men, they could listen and talk at the same time, which again not really that difficult when it was about a topic like pranks, not really something you needed all your brain cells for. So Remus continued, unimpressed by Black counting something off on his fingers and Potter scratching his chin while deep in thought.

"We're gonna study animagi this year." Lupin's not so deep but softer voice soared through the cabin and he looked up from his book pages. Right into the disbelieving looks of his best friends. Black and Potter, how they had instantly shut up and snapped their heads up to stare at him, Black still with four fingers raised into the air and Potter with his hand still on his chin, Pettigrew ripped out of his sleep and with surely sped up heartbeats.

Remus grinned, downright smirked again, knowing that his three brave friends were falling into moral conflicts just about now. If they kept back on their knowledge during class, McGonagall would become suspicious, but if on the other hand they threw themselves into the questions and worked along just as much as their knowledge about the topic was plentiful, McGonagall was gonna get suspicious as hell.

This was their biggest secret. Nothing was more important, nothing needed to be protected more, defended harder. Not James's Invisibility Cloak, that old Potter heirloom. Not the Marauder's Map that they actually used their blood on. No, those three not registered Animagi, those were their greated treasure.

The tension was entirely forgotten when the train rolled into Hogsmeade station though and slowly came to a stand, a mess of students squished themselves from the train and onto the small platform. The Marauders right among them, Black and Potter tried to evade the devilish glares of their exes and grinned at the pining looks of others, while Lupin kept on pushing them towards a carriage.

Soon enough the castle was right there in front of them, and Remus pushed Peter along up the stairs towards the entrance door, eyes set upon the old castle. So grand, so great, but still it had become home in the last years, so many adventures, so much learned already, and now they were back. A new school year was standing right in front of them, and he wasn't the only one who took a real deep breath once he was in the castle. 

It smelled like books and papers, like ink and feathers, like knowledge, wisdom and fun, it smelled like history. 

James and Sirius caught up to him in the entrance door of the Great Hall, Pettigrew already panting on the bench at Gryffindor table, Longbottom and Cooper on his left, heads together, eyes turned towards the teacher's table. Remus didn't look up there yet, let his gaze swing around the hall, catching Meredith's smile from the front of the Ravenclaw table, giving one in return as James and Sirius slipped an arm each around his shoulders, their faces turned ahead even when Remus looked left and right at them in surprise.

That was just them. Sometimes a little dramatic, how they were approaching the little area at their table as a trio. Sitting down across from Peter, they greeted Longbottom and Cooper, shared grins and excited quick tellings of summer activities. Until shoes clicked on the stone ground behind them and Remus blushed furiously when two kisses were pressed onto his cheeks.

"Hey, Remus." Two voices spoke at the same time, and left and right of him Sirius and James froze, "It's good to see you again." Lily Evans added when Remus leaned his head back to look at her and her black haired friend standing at her side.  
"Same, Lil, same." He said and they grinned at each other for a second, before Anna drew his attention to him when she pulled a small folded parchment from her robes and handed it to him.

"Talk to you later?" Anna offered, without a single look to either boy on his sides, Remus nodded and then she pulled her redhaired friend over to the two snickering girls further up the table. Shoving an elbow left and right into James' and Sirius' sides to keep them from crowding too close, Remus unfolded the parchment Anna had given him.

_'You got the best Defense teacher possible now, make the best of it! But if any of you troublemakers breaks my friend, I'm coming for your asses!_

_I warned him of you. All three of you!_

_Enjoy your year, boys,_

_Logan'_

Together the three boys turned their heads towards the teacher's table where the new face was sitting between Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick. Young, way younger than the rest of their teachers, short dark hair, but a gentle face and smiling hazel eyes. He looked up just then, caught their eyes and nodded once, Remus found himself nodding back. 

Hogwarts, beware, the Marauders were back in town. 


	3. Are Ravenclaws the true Slytherins?

### 3\. Are Ravenclaws the true Slytherins?

**Present Time**

"I was born riding a broom and would die riding a broom, that's what my mother had always claimed, until the day she met Sirius Black. From then on, she would always argue that I had been born grinning and would die grinning as well."

James Potter, 1992

**Past - Fall of 1976**

As every year the first weeks of September blurred by them, getting familiar with Hogwarts and classes and shedules, it was easier the older you got, especially when you were in sixth year and it was the last chance you had to take a deep breath before your last year and the stress of approaching NEWTs. 

But in these days, that was all unimportant anyway, even fifth years and seventh years forgot their studies for a few hours. It was the third weekend since the beginning of the new school year and over the entire course of these two days, Hogwarts would be standing under only one motto – Quidditch.

No one was playing yet, that wouldn't happen until November, but apparently all four Captains of the four house teams had coordinated their recruitment games, and like that they were all set back to back on this weekend. Ravenclaw on Saturday morning, Gryffindor in the afternoon, and Hufflepuff and Slytherin shared Sunday, all teams had lost a position or two when last year's seventh years had graduated. 

But not only those who were hoping for a place among the teams were out in the Quidditch stadium, everyone else seemed to have joined in on the excitement as well. To support, to cheer, to keep fingers crossed, and to find out just how well the competition was.

The weather was on their side, offering up good condition for Quidditch, September sun was streaming from a clear blue sky. Barely a breeze, so unusual for Scotland this time of the year, but no one was complaining, the storms would come soon enough and you had to enjoy the period of grace as long as it was there.

The Giant Squid in the Black Lake waiting in vain for some students to play with, and banged his arms into the dark water in boredom, letting some soft waves ripple against the shore lines. A few owls were flying in circles between the Forbidden Forest and the tall tower of the owlery. On the edge of the grounds, the branches of the Whomping Willow were crashing through the air and onto the ground, struggling again the swarm of crows that had taken a liking to it.

From the direction of the Quidditch stadium, a giant oval from which six rings were protuding, loud cheering, laughter and screams could be heard all over the grounds. Student after student sat side by side on the stands, most of them dressed in the colors of their houses, intermingling wildly so that it resulted in a beautiful play of colors. Over the stands, in the four 'corners' of the oval, the four house flags were blowing in the mild wind.

Hufflepuff's yellow and gray badger on the outer left, Ravenclaw's blue and silver eagle on the outer right, Slytherin's green and silver snake next to it, and Gryffindor's red and gold lion the highest, as a sign that it had been them who had won last year's cup – albeit close.

At the current time, the air above the oval was still filled with students wearing blue cloaks, chasing after the Quaffel, above them almost like an enthroned figure the small brunet witch was hovering on her broom, already letting her fingers play with the small golden Snitch. Mischieviously she grinned down at the black haired boy on the stand below her, stucking her tongue out at him for good measure too, getting an eye roll in return and a nod towards the corner of the field below where Gryffindor's team captain was already getting ready.

Well, maybe Ravenclaw had a brilliant seeker, but they could rarely built up a good team, too swallowed by their own arrogance and competiton against each other the most of them, Gryffindor's team spirit and loyalty towards each other was just bigger and one condition for victory.

Meredith send one last grin down to Sirius and then followed the waving hands of her own team captain who was already standing down below on the field again. Completely without problems the teams changed positions then, even if Meredith couldn't help herself and let go of the Snitch just before the already nervous James could get a hold of it. His first year as team captain, under a lot of pressure and expectations the poor guy, after all Gryffindor had been unbeaten for three years now.

The selection for Gryffindor's new players began without any delay, James got support from the Prewett twins Gideon and Fabian who were one year older than the Marauders and had their positions as beaters fixed since their second year, just as Anna who had been recruited by her own brother back in the day, together with James. It was the only field in their lives where James and her got along, Quidditch managed to push away the rivalry between the boys and the girls, here they were a unit. 

She was an ice cold chaser, Gryffindor's best and rumor had it they wouldn't even need two new chasers, Anna would be able to do the job herself quite well, too. Scott Cooper was a wall of unmovable stone in front of their rings, an awesome keeper. James was their seeker, a position that during their time was fitted with only popular names. James Potter for Gryffidnor. Isaac Smith, the minister's son, for Hufflepuff. Regulus Black for Slytherin. Meredith Slater for Ravenclaw, the only girl, but the most tough-minded one.

\--

Meanwhile, Meredith was making her way through the crowd of students, broom clutched to her side on her path to the middle of the eastern stand, blue cloak sticking out once she reached the red block of Gryffindor fans. And right in the middle of that red sea she let herself flop down on the bench between Peter and Sirius.  
"And?" She turned towards the oldest of the friends, who busied his hands for a moment with steering her broom under the bench before looking up at her, head leaning left and right for a moment.

"Gotta be enough for Smith and Reg, but James? Mmmh...he trained hard." Sirius played the game happily and nodded towards her hair. Meredith laughed and tried to reign her wind tousled ponytail in again.  
"Oh, really now?" She smirked, "With whom did he train? You?! I spent half of my vacation on a broom, Black. Reg and I barely did anything else in the last days of August." Meredith challenged him and Sirius raised his hands, laughing.

"She's gotten even crueler, Black." A voice joined in from behind them and Sirius looked up at Frank Longbottom's face who reached out and flicked a finger against his best friend's little cousin's ear. Meredith rolled her eyes and flapped his hand away.  
"You only say that because I flew Scott into a tree." She argued and Frank glared at her while Sirius laughed only louder.

"Anna is gonna win that thing alone by herself anyway, we don't even need a seeker anymore." Alice Scouth, petite girl from their year with a round sweet face added in, sitting on her boyfriend's right, "Lily told me that Logan took her to train with the Harpies, apparently she played them against the wall." Sirius let his eyes widen and quickly looked over to Meredith again, who grinned and nodded, looking out over the field and seeking out the tall girl with the braided black hair who was currently sniping something at a fourth year candidate for the chaser position.

"It's a pity we have to wait for the duel so long. We're not playing each other until May." Meredith pouted, just as a sizzling sound could be heard and Sirius prevented in the last second that a misled bludger succeeded in attacking them. Instead it banged into the empty bench two rows above them after Frank had pushed Alice and Felicia to the ground as well. Pulling Meredith and himself up onto the bench again, Sirius growled and whirled around towards the open field, narrowing his eyes into slits when he caught sight of ginger hair.

"Prewett!" He yelled, choosing the neutral version, no matter which twin it turned out to be, he would react like this.  
"Sorry! What should I do when the quaffle sidetracks it! Blame the chasers!" The beater quipped back, Sirius thought him to be Fabian at first sight.  
"Hey!" The sharp voice had Sirius flinch and Meredith snicker, "As if I was going to attack my friend!" Anna snapped and stopped right next to Fabian to shove an elbow in his side, a few feet to the side, a fifth year candidate chaser was tomato red in shame.

"Stop the cake break!" James thundered from down below, "I don't have all day!!" He looked like a maniac, surrounded by parchment and candidates who all wanted to talk to him, hair wild again because he kept on dragging a hand through it. Fabian Prewett and Anna Raven rolled their eyes but turned their brooms around again, back to concentrating on training. Meredith straightened out her cloak and pulled out her broom from under the bench.

"I'm gonna go and explain to our self exiled lions why sunlight doesn't bite." She declared and Sirius laughed, shifting over closer to Peter again once she was standing.  
"Tell him, we're expecting him in time for dinner or he can kiss goodbye to those chocolate frogs of his." Sirius made the stakes clear and Meredith snorted, turning blue on him.  
"You sure you would dare to take away his chocolate?" She asked, smile dancing on her lips but not yet showing, "Because I don't think you're ready for that kind of Lupin fury."

"No one is." Sirius agreed and they both laughed, raising hands to wave as Meredith made her way down the rows again to get to the changing rooms and then to the castle. Sirius noted, not with the greatest joy, how someone in the mostly green corner further north from his stood up and joined Meredith with a happy smile, took over her broom even. Meredith could point out so many times that she had it under control, that he was eating right out of her hand and that she was just trying to keep him from completely falling into the influence of the dark arts after his brother hadn't been able to do so. Sirius still couldn't lose the feeling that Regulus was planning something, there were just too many people around him nowadays whose influence would always be more powerful than the sweet smile and warm words of his very first friend. 

On top of that list stood Meredith's own brother. The boy all three of them had grown up to admire, the boy who had slipped down a very bad path during his Hogwarts time. Sirius had evaded his slimy fingers, Meredith had finally managed the step to the edge of his reach in the last year but with every single of their steps away from Steven Slater, Regulus had made one closer.

\--

Away from all that Quidditch infested drama, two lonely students made their circles in the school library between the tall bookshelves, packed full of wisdom and knowledge of over a thousand years. Unwatched from Madam Pince, because the strict witch who treated books like her own children trusted those two more than any other student in the school, at least most of the time when they weren't accompanied by their wild friends.

Didn't happen often, or more like happened only once in a blue moon, because Potter, Black and Raven used to avoid the library and books like the plague. And why use books when your best friends were walking encyclopedias anyway.   
"Everything is okay with you guys, right?" The redhaired witch asked and held out a book for her tall friend, close enough that he almost had to squint to read the title.  
"Of course everything is okay." Remus said, half in confusion, took the book from Lily and pushed it back into its place on the shelf, choosing another one instead. They were speaking quietly so that Madam Pince wouldn't hear them.

Lily nodded at the book and the two of them returned to the table at the windows where they had spread out their stuff, quite a chaotic mess of parchment, quills and books.  
"I just mean...that..." Lily began and then nibbled on her lip, sliding onto the chair with the black cloak swung over the back of it.  
"What, Lil?" Remus asked, sitting down as well across from her. Lily Evans pushed back her red hair and shrugged her shoulders.

"Meredith told me what happened during break." She got out with the truth and Remus' face turned even more confused, brows furrowed, blue eyes blinking.  
"Are you worried about Sirius Black? Am I dreaming?" He wanted to know after a small pause, already grinning when Lily flushed scarlet.  
"No!" She growled, before her voice turned softer again, "We've just been talking less these last few weeks." Lily explained and grabbed a hair tie from her bag to tie back her hair, her hands immediately going for a book while Remus watched her, slowly realizing what she was going for.

"Lily, honestly, everything is okay with me. And the guys. And before this turns into one of those dicussions again, I'm putting a stop to it. It's really not easy to find a balance between you and the boys sometimes, one side has to draw the short stick sometimes. And right now, Sirius is clingy, may that interest you or not." Remus answered her, grinning, something that slipped off of his face soon though when Lily only halfheartedly returned it. "You're keeping something from me."

"I think little Black is drawing Meredith away from us." It blurted from her in the next moment and Remus' elbows slipped off of the table in his shock.  
"What?!" He snapped and then clapped a hand over his mouth, Lily bit down on her lips, "What has Regulus been doing?" He growled out and Lily threw up her hands to calm him down again.  
"It's nothing too bad. He's just been looking at her a lot lately, and she's been going out of the castle alone so many times, said no to hanging out with us after class." Lily explained and suddenly Remus was smiling again, "The entire last weekend she wasn't to be found anywhere...but then again...you weren't either." Lily concluded her speech with a surprised gasp, "Remus!"

"We were walking a lot, talking even more, lots to catch up on. We're friends, Lily, my conscience is clean. I'm not keeping some secret dates from you." And still he couldn't hold back that one small smile when he thought back to last weekend, how Meredith had laughed, how she had smiled. Maybe someday he would be ready to give Meredith a chance.  
"What isn't yet something, could become something someday." Lily tried carefully and Remus looked down at his notes.

"Someday."

\--

However, he slowly had to admit to himself that he was longing for Meredith's presence when she wasn't around, and that he was fulfilled by a bone deep happiness if she was around. Yes, Remus Lupin was in love. In love with a girl who might just possibly feel the same for him. Quite the contrast to his blackhaired friend, whose beating had been beating for years for a girl who seemed to hate him. 

No, Meredith was different. At first they really had only been friends, especially in the beginning of their Hogwarts time where a shy smart little Ravenclaw had had such trouble finding a connection with her fellow housemates – aside from the omnipresent older brother – and like that had searched comfort in the familiarity of her oldest friend. The Marauders had, though they were still getting comfortable with each other, taken the girl into their round, and after Remus had found a friend in Lily Evans, one thing had come to another.

Being aware that his feelings for Meredith had changed, that hadn't happened until last year, no great big moment, no epiphanies, it had just clicked one night. His heart had suddenly beat different around her, filled him with more warmth than ever before. And the only thing standing in his way had then the resistance in his head, that stubborn panicked scream telling him that he wasn't worth it, that following along that path would only get everyone hurt. And getting over that wall wasn't as easy as James and Sirius always presented it to be.

It was his conscience that had built a wall between his feelings and Meredith, and he knew from experience that that was a hard hill to climb. And of course, everything was overshadowed by the question just how Meredith would react if she knew the truth about him. Would she turn her back on him? Remus wouldn't be able to bear it, alone the thought hurt so much that he preferred her friendship over any uncertain future scenarios.

A friendship that had gotten closer and closer in the last weeks, for hours they had walked around the Great Lake and just talked, finally just the two of them and no blubbering friends who always had more to say or who was always louder and quicker. Smiling on the inside and outside he thought back to the evening two days ago, at first they had talked about his idiots after they had concluded their first prank of the year, entertaining the entire school, but then out of the blue Meredith had confessed to him that she still couldn't find herself to really trust her housemates, and the mood had shifted to something more intimate.

And somehow, and he still recalled his kneejerk first reaction, she really didn't belong. Not to the Ravenclaws of their time. She belonged to Rowena's house but not to its students. The Ravenclaws of their generation were arrogant, narcissistic and only focused on their own advantages, cunningly smart, too. It was a toxic combination, one that had produced people like Steven Slater. Sometimes it really became difficult to keep them apart from the Slytherins. Meredith was different, she was polite, helpful, funny and brave, smart and beautiful, and she wanted only the best for people, saw only the best in people. She should have been a Gryffindor, but that would have been too much of a slap into her family's face.

The Slaters were a pureblooded wizard family who had left England for America three generations ago, because they had hoped for fresh pure magical blood for their family tree. Unsuccessfully, so that Meredith's father, Alexander, the most important political adviser to the minister, had married an English born witch again, and then returned back to the old lands a couple of years later, back to London, back to Grimmaudplace. Elisabeth Slater, born Cooper, had given her husband two children.

A boy, who had come to Ravenclaw like his mother had once upon a time, who had taken his family's values and followed them with vigor and absolute devotion. Today, Steven Slater was a high ranking member in the department for international magical relations and married to a young pureblood witch from France, who not only didn't speak a single word of English but also was dumb as bread as Meredith and Sirius and Scott liked to point out.

And then a girl, darling Meredith.

Meredith who loved her brother, even when they had begun to argue a lot, because Meredith did not sympathize with the beliefs of her family.

The Slaters sided with the Blacks which by now meant they were basically standing in the pre-stage of becoming Death Eaters, not surprising in that context that the currently untraceable Steven was suspected to have been involved in illegal activities in Albania. Heavens to thank, his sister was an angel who was beginning to feel ashamed for her family background more and more. At least for the paternal side, because the family line of her mother was more her thing. No one better than the Marauder's dorm room fellow Scott Cooper was her cousin, whose father was an old housemate and friend of Charlus Potter.

Funny to note that Richard Cooper had married Alexander's youngest sister Cassandra almost eighteen years ago, and now they were both standing with both feet on the good side of this approaching war. The Coopers were purebloods as well, but like the Potters they didn't see themselves as anything better because of it, they were big parts of the magical community. Richard was a lawyer and a member of the wizard gamot, while his wife was a medi witch at St.Mungos, leading the department for children.

"Hey, Remus! I'm talking to you!" Lily pulled him from his thoughts with a light punch to his upper arm, a knowing grin on her face.  
"What?" He asked and rubbed his neck, "Sorry, was distracted." And Lily's grin nearly split her face in half.

"I asked you if we shall finish Ancient Runes here or up in the common room. Arithmancy would be more important." Lily repeated her question.  
"Let's get on with the numbers then." Remus decided, pushed the day dreams away and opened his book. Lily looked at him for a moment longer, then shook her head with a fond smile and focused on her books as well. But after a little while of quiet working, she couldn't really concentrate on her numbers anymore and began to chew on the end of her quill, lost in thoughts, Remus caught it all from the corner of his eyes but let her be for now.

"Remus?" She asked bashful after another short moment, something was clearly on her mind, and Remus wondered just what.  
"Hm?" He made as a sound to show that he was listening but kept most of his attention on his parchment still, rearranging numbers.  
"You know Andrew Parker, right?" Lily questioned him and Remus looked up with both eyebrows raised.

What Hogwarts student didn't know Andrew Parker? 

"Course I do." Remus said, a little alarmed by the hidden subtone in Lily's voice, something he hadn't heard from her before. "Meredith is complaining about him about every second day." Remus' mind didn't need long to conjure up an image of the tall, lanky boy with black hair.  
"And you know what's next weekend?" And slowly it was dawning on Remus just what Lily meant, he leaned back in his chair and looked over to the redhaired girl. Lily flushed, red coloring her face so nicely, no more doubt that this way really embarassing for her.

"What do you wanna tell me, Lil?" He prompted and Lily flushed scarlet, shifting on her seat and letting her fingers quickly fiddle with the end of her shirt sleeves.  
"Parker asked me for a Hogsmeade date." Lily blurted out and in his first frozen moment it felt like the little sister asking her big brother for approval, even if she didn't need it, but it flattered him immensely that she might think of him that way. Warmed him deeply that someone trusted him like that.

Ignoring the fact that she was two weeks older.

And that James was going to kill him.

"And you answered him what?" He still played the game and ducked his head to still hold her gaze when Lily looked down at the table.  
"I said yes. It's just a trip to Hogsmeade." Lily told him and she was way too quick on the justifying side of things for his taste.  
"And what did Anna and Meredith say?" He poked into the direction he suspected that quickfire reaction to have been reasoned in.

"You want the truth or the pretty one?" She grumbled and he made a face at her, "They don't like him, said he doesn't fit with me, but I at least want to give him a chance."  
"And now you want my opinion?" Remus tried and internally begged her to say no, please don't do this to me, please don't make me do this. James was gonna skin him alive. Lily nodded and he wanted to cry but pulled himself together, "Well, Lily, I'm probably not exactly the right one to judge something like this, but yeah why shouldn't he at least get a chance."

Oh, forgive me, Prongs, but what am I supposed to do, Remus thought to himself, look at that face. 

And Lily was smiling, beaming from one ear to another before she turned back to their homework again.

Yeah, James was going to scream at him.

\--

"Hey guys!" 

Remus and Lily both looked up and smiled when they caught of the sunshine whirlwind coming their way, brunet hair open again now, no more Quidditch uniform but back in simple school uniform with blue silver tie.   
"Hey, Merry, made the team?" Remus asked with a chuckle in his voice and pushed a book to the side, Meredith snorted and pulled up a chair, sitting down next to Lily.

"Yes, it was so close." She played it with him, "I had to beg Parker on my knees to get his stuck up little head to listen to my little voice. Please, Lupin, Ravenclaw would have no chance without me." Remus laughed and started collecting the books from the table, "Hey, Lil, do you wanna go out a little? Enjoy the sun? Talk?" Meredith turned towards the redhead who began to grin, nodding happily, seemed like the girls hadn't spent as much time together these last weeks as they would have wanted to.

"Of course, lemme just bring these books back and then..." Lily started but Remus interrupted her with a smile, taking the two tombs she had previously been scrolling in from her.  
"Go, I got this. Lets me make up for when Sirius dropped in here last week to snatch me away." Remus told her and then pointed towards the exit, "Out with you, I'll see you tomorrow." Both girls giggled and Lily only quickly snatched up her notes and quills and stuffed it into her bag, and then Meredith and her gave Remus one last kiss to the cheek before they linked arms and rushed off.

Remus shook his head and fought down his blush as he picked up the books and made his rounds to sort them all into the right position again. It wasn't until he was down to the one book about animagi that he noticed that he wasn't alone in the library anymore.

"Professor!" He called out quietly when he had almost run right into Teeborn upon rounding a corner, Teeborn looked up from where he had let his finger run along the lines of books.  
"Mister Lupin, I'm surprised to see you here in this beautiful weather." His newest teacher spoke up and Remus raised an eyebrow, sliding his book back into its place.  
"No, you're not." He disagreed and Teeborn laughed, grabbing a book and setting it down on the edge of the shelf. "If Logan told you even the littlest things about us, then that you'll either find me with James and Sirius or here."

"He might have mentioned that the wonder child can easily forget time in the library." Teeborn said and waved Remus over to the tables again, he easily sat down on the chair that Lily had had occupied before. "I don't think it's a bad idea, spent a lot of time in here myself." Teeborn added while Remus still wondered just quickly he could kill Logan without having to leave Hogwarts, he had hated that nickname, still did and he couldn't believe Logan had dared to give it out to his new teacher of all people.

"Not exactly easy sometimes to find a quiet place in Gryffindor tower." Remus said and Teeborn nodded, "Especially not with friends like James and Sirius."  
"Oh, I remember that struggle. Benjy always claimed he was allergic to books, so this was my sanctuary when I couldn't get him to shut up again while all I wanted was to read." Teeborn joined in on the feeling.

They worked in silence then, Teeborn flipped through the book he had taken and Remus finished off the essay for Potions and sorted his notes from Transfiguration. Defense was going better than ever, Teeborn had taken to teaching like a storm to the sea, and everyone seemed to love him, even the Slytherins had so far not showed any chagrin towards him, certainly a new development. He was understanding and still encouraged them to give their best every single day. Teeborn had actually managed to get James and Sirius to sit still and listen and then look forward to actual homework.

Miracles could happen.

"Listen...This might overstep a line and I am terribly sorry if that is the case." Teeborn spoke up after a while and Remus slowly looked up from his notes, feeling the hair at his neck stand up in alarm, that didn't sound good. "As a member of the faculty, I was...informed about your situation."

Oh.

"Sir, it's not a problem. I know that the teachers know, you don't have to..." Remus began and then shut up when Teeborn smiled and held up a hand to stop him.  
"I was wondering just how much you are still suffering after a full moon. The next one is coming up and I have a little bit of friendly dueling planned for my class next week, which is directly after the full moon night." Teeborn explained, "I was just wondering if you were up for that."  
"I hate the dueling podium." Remus blurted out, focusing entirely on the wrong part of that explanation but his heart was pounding in his throat, "Spotlight on me? I don't do that."

No teacher had ever asked that question. No one. McGonagall and Flitwick went easy on him if it was clear that it had been a hard full moon night, but the rest they did just what Remus had wanted, they treated him like any other student. They all more or less acted like there wasn't a furry little problem storming in his veins. Williamson had edged around him, been nervous around him, but Williamson had been a loser and no one had liked him.

"Oh, you're just like Logan told me you'd be." Teeborn laughed and smiled at him, "Honestly though, I get it, I hated it, too, and I didn't even have a secret to keep. Always glad to have Benjy and his shadow." And Remus smiled, but also frowned a little when a sudden thought popped into his head.

"Did Dorea Potter set you up to this?" He wanted to know and Teeborn laughed, all with his head thrown back.  
"No, she didn't." Teeborn promised, "I just think it could be good for you. But seriously, I wouldn't force you up there, you know that. Just giving the opportunity. And I also want you to know that...if you ever feel like you can't do something, for whatever reason, may it be directly related to the wolf or not, you don't even have to tell me, just step back, take a break."

"Thank you, Sir, that...that means a lot to me." Remus replied, something in chest loosening up, something that he didn't even known had been caged in. "And to answer your question, I...well I can't really talk about the reasons but it's gotten better since I have the boys, no more...sick days. I'll be fine, I got them to watch my back." Teeborn grinned and nodded.  
"That's good, that's very good. Well, I gotta go, still got essays to grade, the fun part of being a teacher." Teeborn grouched and got back to his feet, "Don't hole yourself up for long, weather won't be as nice as this for long." And he knocked on the table once before turning to walk away, only to stop two steps along, "And Remus? If anything ever happens with your condition and you need help that James or Sirius can't give, you can count on me. Anytime." And before Remus could have really come up with words to show his gratitude for that, Teeborn smiled and left.

\--

In the evening, the Marauders were alone in their dorm, no trace of Frank and Scott, not really surprising, with both of them having girlfriends now. Was also better right now, because the mood in the round room was really explosive at the moment, even though Remus and Sirius were sitting all casually in the window alcove, legs danling over the edge. Peter remained on his bed, a little bit more unsure and eyes focused on the middle of the room. Exactly where James Potter was currently pacing like a triggered tiger.

"She goes out with Andrew Parker!" He spit out, as if it was unhealthy to keep it inside his head any longer.  
"Goes with him to Hogsmeade." Remus tried to reason or calm him down, Sirius patted his knee when James whirled around.  
"With Andrew Parker!!" Potter shrieked, kicking against his trunk. Sirius turned his face into Remus' shoulder, way too busy hiding his grin.

"We're turning in circles." He whispered and the werewolf nodded, now quite focused on keeping his face straight and neutral as well.  
"James, come on, they're just going to Hogsmeade. Lily doesn't even know herself yet if she wants more. Please don't be disappointed." Remus went for soothing, couldn't know that it was the last thing James needed.

"Disappointed?" James cut through his words almost, "I'm not disappointed!" He threw at his two surprised friends who almost in sync raised an eyebrow.  
"Wait...you're angry? At her?" Sirius concluded in disbelieving shock, sitting straight again in the next second, throwing a look over to Remus. James angry at Miss Evans? What the hell? Had the world turned on its axis?

"Of course I'm angry at her!" James went on as if his friends hadn't interrupted, "How can she go out with this arrogant slimy idiot? Just now where I left her alone for weeks, no pushy questions, not a single time did I ask her for a date since the new year started. Just like you adviced me to, Remus. Truth be told I haven't spoken with her at all, ignored her entirely and it hurts. And now I have to learn and just take it that she is going out with Parker of all people." James raged.

"Are you angry at her for going on a date with someone or for going on a date with Parker?" Sirius couldn't hide very well that he was helplessly confused, and Remus had to admit, too, that he didn't follow anymore.  
"Of course I'm angry at her for going out with Parker while at the same time giving me pass after pass." James argued and Peter's squeak of bewildered not-knowing could pretty well sum up what was going through Remus' head.

"What's the connection there?" Sirius let out before he could stop it and think about it again, James turned towards them and glared out of murderous brown eyes. Merlin, jealousy was not beautiful on anyone.  
"Are you blind? Are we talking about the same boy? Andrew Parker, black hair, wearing glasses, brown eyes, captain of Ravenclaw's Quidditch team, arrogant, overflowing self-confidence, aware that he doesn't have to do a lot to get good grades. More exes than fingers on both hands. He is basically my twin, so why by Merlin's bloody beard does she hate me and go out with him?" And suddenly it was quiet in the room, with James starring at his two older friends, waiting and a little out of breath. 

Sirius and Remus starred back, incapable of coming up with even one sentence. Sirius, because he was probably a little shocked from James' emotional outburst. Remus though was blown away by James' obvious self-criticism. Merlin's books, if he could only get Lily to listen one single time.

"Nothing is final, Prongs. Anna and Meredith don't even like Parker so much, and their opinion is something Lily treasures very much." Remus gave comfort and Sirius shook his head, cleared his thoughts.  
"Well, Prongs, can consider yourself lucky that the dragon is on our side for once." Sirius caught himself again and smirked when he jumped off the alcove bench, walking over he patted James' shoulder once before striding over to the door.

"Where are you going?" James decided to let that comment slide, now being the one who looked confused.  
"What am I? Your slave? I'm going down into the common room, there is a fifth year that caught my beautiful eye." He explained, slipped around the door and was gone.  
"Thanks for your sympathy!" James yelled after him before he face first dropped into the pillows on his bed. Peter grabbed his satchel and waved his half finished essay towards Remus who waved him off, wasn't gonna help deal with this Potter mess anyway.

"So...you want me to say something nice?" Remus tried and slowly got back to his feet as well, James grunted and then turned his head to the side, but away from Remus.  
"Shut up." He growled and then got really quiet again, Remus could feel his insides churning with worry, it so wasn't like him.

"Are you angry at me, too? Because I told you it would be a good idea to give her some space?" Remus asked and slowly sat down on the edge of his bed, eyes set on James.  
"Nah, don't be an idiot." James sighed, rolled around and then swung himself up until he was sitting, too, straightening his glasses again, "It's not your fault."

"Listen, Prongs, if Lily does end up dating Parker for good, maybe it's a good idea to show her that you're hurt..." Remus tried but could see that it would be in vain, James' guards were shooting up like fireworks.  
"Sure, and lose my face in front of the entire school." He grunted before sighing again and dragging a hand through his hair.  
"What's more important to you, your reputation or Lily?" Remus wanted to know, serious all of a sudden, he would never see one of his friends hurt, and as much as he loved James like a brother, Lily was his friend too. James set his feet onto the ground.

"Lily, it's always gonna be Lily. People can think whatever the bloody hell they want." James clarified and Remus smiled.  
"So accept her decision, show her that you're unhappy with it, but please keep your jealousy in check. It's not only ugly but truth be told quite frightening. You know Lily likes to help, and all you need is one chance of her seeing who you really are." Remus reasoned and James nodded.

"I guess it's a worth a try." He mumbled and it hurt Remus to see him this bedraggled, his crush on Lily was scarily serious and deep.  
"And don't start dating anyone random, just because Padfoot is gonna drag them in like flies again, or because I might not be available all the time." He added in the end and James' head snapped up again, smile blooming on his face.

"Slater?" He wanted to know, grinning and Remus rolled his eyes, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at James' head.  
"I'm taking this at my own speed, Prongs." Remus warned and then squeaked when James grabbed his pillow and one of his own and threw himself over the distance between their beds.

\--

Later that night, as the castle laid silent and resting, Remus laid awake on his back and listened to the quiet breaths of his friends. Peter was quietly snoring, curled up tight like a ball. Scott hadn't quite managed to get rid of Felicia's enthusiam anymore and was grinning in his sleep with lipstick traces all over his right cheek. Frank sleeping like the dead as always, on his bed, straight, not a limb out of line. 

Sirius as always like a total lump, limbs everywhere while he snuffed into his pillow, lying on his stomach, blanket only covering his ass. James was the one worrying him, restless tonight, turning from left to right and back again, mumbling quietly. It only showed again just how affected he really was by the thought that Lily might choose someone else, that she might have fallen in love with someone else.

Maybe Remus had some influence on him after all, and maybe James was starting to let himself grown up just a little bit, even if that meant getting hurt sometimes. He thought about Andrew Parker himself, throught about Lily and him and had to admit in the privacy of his own mind that he didn't like the Ravenclaw. He wasn't the right one for Lily, he couldn't get himself to trust that this guy wouldn't sooner or later break her heart.

And bit by bit a theory got created in his tired head, were Ravenclaws maybe the true Slytherins? Were they the ones they couldn't trust?


End file.
